copyright © 2009 pearson education, inc., upper saddle river, nj 07458. all rights reserved. the...

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.

The Meaning and Measure of Happiness

How should we evaluate the well-being of a society, a community, an individual life? What measurable qualities should we use?

I. Traditional Measures of Well-Being

Economic Indicators - income, unemployment, inflation,

poverty, inequality, home ownership, job growth, etc.

Mental Health - depression, stress, suicide, autism, etc.

Physical Health - cancer, heart disease, obesity, etc.

Quality of Life - best cities, services, jobs, environment.

II. Positive Psychology - Critique

1. What is not measured .

2. Misleading assumptions.

3. Limits of objective measures & importance of subjective judgments.


Limitations of Traditional Measures 1. Assess negatives not positives of life -

Misery index - do not directly measure health & happiness.Problem: Surveys - happiness & life satisfaction important life goal.

Part of most American culture - Declaration of Independence .Cory Keyes: positive health vs. only illness rates.

2. Infer health & happiness - Assumes: well-being/happiness = absence of misery or negative functioning - if not unhappy or ill must be ok - doing better when misery index goes down.

Problem: absence of misery (e.g.depression) not same as health and happiness.

3. Objective measures not same as subjective experience -Assumes: money/material possessions primary factor in “good life.”Happier - when income, jobs go up, etc.

Problem- faulty assumption - objective life circumstances, money, income very weakly related to happiness - threshold effect.


Positive Psychology’s Alternative Measures

1. Measure happiness directly, not indirectly -

No inferences - are we happy or not?

Do objective facts make a difference or not?

E.g., Large-scale national and world surveys.

2. Define and measure aspects of positive functioning directly.

What is a good life beyond absence of misery?

What is on the other side of zero? Millions “languishing” but not mentally?

How many show positive mental health, optimal functioning, flourishing?

3. Give primacy to subjective nature of health & happiness.People’s interpretation of their life matters as much as facts.


Make a Difference?National Subjective Well-Being Index – Ed Diener.

Psychological equivalent to GNP – make widely available (Eurobarometer).

Complement economic and social indicators.

Quality of life that includes subjective factors

Sense of community, happiness, beauty, promotion of positive behaviors.


What Is Happiness & Well-Being?

Two Views of Happiness and Well-Being

1. Hedonic View – Happiness & Satisfaction (SWB)- Happiness is person’s own subjective judgment of the overall

balance of “good” and “bad” in their life. - From own point of view how satisfied are you, are positive

emotions and events running ahead of negative?

Satisfaction + abundance of positive emotions (happiness).

Research-driven approach

Are people happy? To what degree? What is happiness related or correlated with? Profile of happy and unhappy people.

Basis of happiness is empirical question.


2. Eudaimonic View –Self-Realization & Optimal Functioning

- Happiness and well-being more than emotion and satisfaction.- Happiness machine – More to life than subjective pleasure.

Deeper meanings + mental/emotional health.

A. Self-realization & meaning: Eudaimonic – daimon = true selfHappiness and well-being result from expressing our inner potentials, self-realization of talents and values, and healthy positive functioning. Satisfaction from overcoming challenge. Deserve our happiness and satisfaction because of abilities and effort.

B. Optimal functioning - Can you be happy and mentally ill, i.e., not healthy?Eudaimonic view thinks should be able to tell the difference.Health involves doing the hard things - not necessarily happy.

Eudaimonic view – Definition/measure of well-being should define basis of happiness and health.

Theory-driven approach, i.e., theory of happiness first, then studies to evaluate/refine theory.


Hedonic & Eudaimonic

• 1. List three activities that bring you pleasure and make you feel good.

• 2. List three activities that bring a feeling of accomplishment, express your interests, talents, or passions and give you a sense that this is who you are.

• 3. How much do your two lists overlap?

• 4. What are the psychological differences between activities on list 1 and list 2 that do not overlap?


Comparison: Overlapping but Different Waterman: If you wanted another person to know about who you are and what you are like as a

person, what four activities of importance to you would you describe? List four activities. 1,2,3,4. Rate each activity twice (using 3 PE and HE criteria)

7 6 5 4 3 2 1Strongly Agree Slightly uncertain Slightly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Disagree

PE1. This activity gives me my strongest feeling of really being alive and expressing my best

potentials.2. When I engage in this activity I feel this is what I was meant to do.3. When I engage in this activity I feel more intensely involved than I do in most activities, a feeling

of special fit or meshing, high concentration, challenge, and effort.HE 1.This activity gives me the strongest sense of enjoyment and pleasure. I’m relaxed and content.2. When I engage in this activity I forget about my problems and lose track of time. Easy to do…go

with the flow.3. When I engage in this activity I feel happier and more excited than I do in other activities.Found: PE & HE r =.70 to .80 50 to 66% overlap.


Laura King - Positive Affect and Meaning

Traditional opposition of pleasure and meaning - shallow vs. deeperKing: How positive affect/emotion may contribute to meaning1. Positive emotions enhance meaning - fun with friends, scenery - think of

larger context, appreciation of life, what’s important2. Positive emotions as markers of meaningful events

Personally expressive/meaningful events also pleasante.g., Christmas - childhood memories

Six studies: Diary study: Each day – found something purposeful & meaningful -reason for being hererated positive affectExpt. Manipulate mood

All showed meaning and positive emotions strongly relatedTwo-way street - each contributing to other


Differences & SimilaritiesDifferences

Hedonic View: Happiness = Positive Emotions + Satisfaction

Basis of happiness to be discovered through research - empirically.

Why we are happy not answered by theory or definition.

Quick and easy measures - easy to assess.

Research-driven approach.

Eudaimonic View - Personal Expressiveness, Optimal Functioning, Positive Mental Health, and MeanfulnessDefinition specifies basis for well-being, i.e., why/what makes us healthy. Likely to also make us happy but maybe not in the short-term..e.g., strength to end bad relation, confront conflicts, say “no.”

Complicated, lengthy & involved assessment.

Theory-driven…define well-being in way that includes why.

I.e., criteria for healthy, fully functioning person.

Simiarities Moderate to strong correlations of r =.6. Tapping similar dimensions.


Hedonic View: Subjective Well-being (SWB)

Subjective Well-Being – (self-reported)

(dominates research)

Colloquially - happiness.

Relatively stable and pervasive sense that life is “good.”

Initially conceived as three major components:

1. Life satisfaction - global judgment about one’s life

2. Positive affect - experiencing many positive emotions and moods

3. Negative affect - experiencing low levels of negative affect (low negative emotion & mood) (independence of pos. & neg.)


Global Measures

Life Satisfaction - single and multiple item scales

- “Taking all things together, how would you say things are these days? Would you say you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?”

- “How satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?

Very satisfied. Satisfied. Not very satisfied. Not at all satisfied?”

Rate on 7-point scale from delighted to terrible:

- “Which face comes closest to expressing how you feel about your life as a whole?” Choose face: smile through neutral to frown

Lyubormirsky - Subjective Happiness Scale


Life Satisfaction Scale - Ed Diener

7 Strongly agree

6 Agree

5 Slightly agree

4 Neither agree nor disagree

3 Slightly disagree

2 Disagree

1 Strongly agree

_____1. In most ways my life is close to my ideal.

_____2. The conditions of my life are excellent.

_____3. I am satisfied with my life.

_____4. So far I have gotten the important things in life.

_____5. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.

Add item ratings divide by 5 - Satisfaction ranges from 1 to 7


Satisfaction in Life Domains• Life satisfaction as total of satisfaction in important areas of life.• More informative than global measure.

– How satisfied are you with:• Work• Finances• Friends• Marriage• Direction country is going• Packer’s season• Brett Favre• Hobbies, etc….


Emotional Component of SWB

General Emotional StateDuring the past few weeks have you ever felt:

Particularly excited or interested in something?Proud of an accomplishment?On top of the world?That things are going your way?Calm & peaceful? Extremely happy?

During the past few weeks have you ever felt:So restless you couldn’t sit long in a chair?Very lonely or remote from people? Bored?Depressed or unhappy?Upset because someone criticized you? Hopeless? Worthless?

Specific EmotionsPANAS


Future in Your Smile?

Duchene versus Pan-Am Smile: Harker & Keltner JPSP - 01

Participants: 141 women graduates from Mills College

DV: Senior class photo from 1960s- Coded as Duchene (genuine) or Pan-Am (forced).50% coded as Duchene - natural.

IV: Contacted at age 27, 43, & 52 yrs. oldMeasures happiness, satisfaction in life, marriage, health.

Results:1. Likelihood of stable & happy marriage versus single or divorced.2. Higher personal well-being, satisfaction, & happiness.3. Better mental & physical health.


Scoring & Interpretation

- Specify a time period - last week, this month, today.

- Compute separate scores for positive and negative emotions.

Positive affect & negative affect largely independent for given time period versus at one point in time.

-Subtract negative from positive or divide positive by negative.

-Happiness defined as lots of positive and few negative emotions.

Finding: Happiness best predicted by frequency, not intensity, of positive emotions. Intense moments of joy/ecstasy rare.

Summary: SWB = happiness - 3 parts (combined/separated in research)

1. Life Satisfaction

2. Positive Affect

3. Negative Affect


Global Self-Report Measuresversus Experience Sampling

Global self-report measures susceptible to several sources of distortion. Asking to integrate experiences over long time periods.

1. Current mood - Schwartz & StrackFinding money, my team wins, dirty & hot & smelly, sunny day.

2. Memory - selectivity & weightinga. Peak-end-rule - Kahneman - peak intensity & ending intensity given most weight in emotional experiences - not duration.How bad/good and how it ends...not how long it lasts.Ice water, aversive sounds.

b. State-dependent memory: mood = recall cuehappy - remember good thingsunhappy - remember all bad


Naturalistic Experience Sampling MethodsOn-line Assessment of Emotions

1. On-line measuresBeeper studies (hand computer, etc.) – report mood & what. Doing random times throughout day over period of weeks or months.Sample emotional experiences “on-line” as they happen.Less chance for memory errors & emotional distortions.

40% of daily fluctuations related to days of week.Good mood on Friday & weekends…Monday = bummer.

2. Retrospective measures (easier, less disruptive)- Diary – record feelings and day’s events over time.- Day Reconstruction Method - KahnemanGlobal measures versus ESM (eg., Packers) Global - maximal sensitive to traits & meaning.

ESM - max sensitive to states & short-term reactions.Correlated but unless ESM long-term not larger.


Validity & Reliability of SWB Measures

1. Reliability:-Most measures show moderate to strong inter-correlations.

ESM moderate correlations with global measures. -Multi-item scales of life satisfaction and positive and negative emotions

typically exceed r = .80; single item scales less.Moderate stability & consistency over time - i.e., reliable.Sensitive to changes in life circumstances but also stable over long periods.As good or better than other measures in psychology.

2. Validity:Measures of SWB correlate with other traits & behaviors.Happy people act happy.

-Confirmed by reports of friends, family, & co-workers.- Outgoing, smile, laugh, work satisfaction, mental health. Longevity, etc…..


Eudaimonic Measures of Well-Being

Positive Functioning and Positive Mental Health

- How define opposite of psychopathology? I.e., mental illness.

- Create language, definitions of health equivalent to language

& definitions in DSMIV.

- Mental Health = emotional well-being and positive functioning.

Not enough to feel good…..be happy or satisfied.

Also need psychological & social competence.

- SWB/Happiness is only one component of mental health.

Comprehensive Model – empirical support

Carol Ryff, Corey Keyes & Jeanna Magyor-Moe


Criteria of Flourishing, Psychological Well-Being

Complete Mental Health. Optimal Functioning.

Operational Definitions of Symptoms

of Mental Health

1. Emotional well-being: Positive Feelings

2. Psychological well-being: Positive Functioning

3. Social well-being: Positive Social Functioning

Combines measures of emotional well-being and positive functioning.


Validated in major study in 1995: “MacArthur Foundation Study of Successful Midlife” (MIDUS Study) - 3,200 adults 25 to 74

DSM - presence/absenceFlourishing Positive Mental Health

- Internal reliability .80 or higher.- Good factor structure: each component statistically distinct.- Positive measures negatively correlated with negative

measures (e.g., depression) .

Keyes - definitions & scale items.


Complete Mental Health

I. Emotional Well-Being

1. Positive Affect - experience of positive emotions like joy & happiness.

– During the last 30 days, how much of the time did you feel cheerful, in good spirits, extremely happy, calm and peaceful, satisfied and full of life?

2. Negative Affect - absence of emotions suggesting life is unpleasant.

– During the last 30 days, how much of the time did you feel so sad nothing could cheer you up, nervous, restless or fidgety, hopeless, that everything was an effort, worthless?


3. Life Satisfaction – sense of contentment and satisfaction with life. – During the last 30 days, how much of the time did you feel satisfied, full of life?– Overall these days, how satisfied are you with your life?

4. Happiness – having a general feeling and experience of contentment and joy.– Overall these days, how happy are you with your life?– How frequently have you felt (joy, pleasure, happiness) in the

past week, month, or year?


II. Psychological Well-Being

1. Self-Acceptance - Positive attitude towards oneself; accepts varied aspects of self; feel positive about past life.

– In many ways I feel disappointed about my achievements in life. (-)

2. Personal Growth - Feelings of continued development & effectiveness; open to new experiences & challenges.

– I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how Ithink about myself and the world.

3. Purpose in Life - Possessing goals and beliefs that give direction to life; feel life has meaning and purpose.

– I live life one day at a time and don’t really think about the future. (-)

4. Environmental Mastery - Feel competent and able to manage complex environment; able to create personally suitable living situation.

– The demands of everyday life often get me down. (-)

5. Autonomy - Comfortable with self-direction; possess internal standards; resist negative social pressures from others.

– I have confidence in my own opinions, even if they are different from the way most other people think.

6. Positive Relations with Others - Warm, satisfying, and trusting relationships with others; capable of empathy and intimacy.

-- Maintaining close relationships has been difficult and frustrating for me. (-)


II. Social Well-Being

1. Social Acceptance - Positive attitudes towards others while understanding their complexities.

- People who do a favor expect nothing in return.

2. Social Actualization - Cares about and believes that people have potential. Society can evolve in a positive direction.

- The world is becoming a better place for everyone.

3. Social Contribution - Feel one’s life is useful to society and valued by others.

- I have something valuable to give to the world.

4. Social Coherence - Has interest in society and believes it is intelligible and somewhat logical, predictable, and meaningful

- I cannot make sense of what’s going on in the world.(-)

5. Social Integration - Feels sense of belonging to a community; feels comfort and support from community.

- I don’t feel I belong to anything I’d call a community. (-)


Degrees of Mental Health & Illness

Degrees of Mental health-Flourishing – High positive mental health and low mental illness.

-Moderate Mental Health – Moderate positive mental health and low

symptoms of mental illness.

Degrees of Mental Illness-Mental Illness – Low positive mental health and high symptoms of

mental illness.

-Moderate Mental Illness – Low/moderate positive health and moderate

illness (e.g., depressive episode).

-Languishing – Low positive mental health and low mental illness symptoms. Not happy but not suffering from mental disorder.


Findings of the MIDUS study extrapolated adults from 25 to 74 in United States in 1995.Estimates-guesstimates for depression:- 26.6 million flourishing- 18.6 million pure languishing- 7.3 million moderate mental illness –depressive episode and

languishing- 14.5 million – pure depression


Self-Determination Theory - Deci & Ryan

- Biological analogy – humans, like all living things, need nutrients necessary for life. Compromised if not fulfilled. Defines basis of well-being in fulfillment of essential needs.

- Humans need three types of nutriments to ensure growth, integrity, and well-being: some in environment (state) some in individual (trait).


1. Autonomy - freely chosen activities and self-determined life of central importance. Need for individual freedom of action. (opposite?)

Four degrees: extrinsic, introjected, identified, & intrinsic motives.

2. Competence – effectiveness, achievement, pride. Need for success.

(opposite)

3. Relatedness – positive connections with others - need to

belong versus (opposite) exclusion, conflict, loneliness, social insecurity.

Traits & States TheoryTraits: People high on these traits have higher SWB.

States: Experiences that fulfill these needs lead to higher SWB.

Baseline/traits and effects of experience.

copyright © 2009 pearson education, inc., upper saddle river, nj 07458. all rights reserved. the...

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